Twelve fruit marketers have created Ifored, an international consortium that will test, select and commercialise red-flesh apple varieties.
After meeting in Angers, France, last month Ifored has begun a promising set of varieties created over the last 20 years by International Fruit Obtention (IFO), a company dedicated to developing new apple varieties.
"We see tremendous potential for red-flesh apples," said Bruno Essner, president of the Ifored board of directors.
"We have put together a marvellous group of experienced growers and marketers from across the world to harness this potential and to bring distinct apple varieties to market."
The organisation's partners – Montague (Australia), Mono Azul (Argentina), Unifrutti (Chile), Dutoit (South Africa), AMG (Gerfruit and Mesfruit, France), Blue Whale (France), Empire World Trade (UK), Fenaco (Switzerland), Novamela (VOG, VIP, Melinda, La Trentina and Rivoira, Italy), Nufri (Spain), Worldwide Fruit (UK) and Next Big Thing (US and Canada) – own or control 40,000ha of apple orchards, producing 2m tonnes of apples a year and marketing approximately 2.5m tonnes annually.
Ifored is global in scope, Essner explained: "The partners will bring together deep experience and remarkable market reach as we introduce these exciting red-flesh varieties to consumers across the world."
The marketers are preparing trees for planting and will begin commercial production in the next few years of third- and fourth-generation selections that have been bred for reduced astringency, larger sizes, increased sugar content, more uniform appearance and improved internal quality, storage and shelf-life.
They are being developed with natural horticultural techniques and Ifored hopes they will impress consumers with their distinct appearance and superior taste.
The varieties under development range from apples with roughly 30 per cent pink flesh to those with full and intense red colouration.
Skin colours include red, orange, yellow and bi-coloured, while flavours range from dominantly sweet to tangy, and harvest times start before Gala and run through Cripps Pink.
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